Purpose: The Korean Society of Coloproctology has been conducting Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign, also known as the Gold Ribbon Campaign, every September since 2007. The 2022 campaign was held through a metaverse platform targeting the younger age group under the slogan of raising awareness of early-onset colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to analyze the impact of the 2022 campaign on a metaverse platform. Methods: Anonymized survey data were collected from participants in the metaverse campaign from September 1 to 15, 2022. The satisfaction score of the participants was evaluated by sex, age group, and previous campaign participation status. Results: During the campaign, 2,770 people visited the metaverse. Among them, 455 people participated in the survey (response rate, 16.4%). Approximately 95% of the participants reported being satisfied with the information provided by the campaign, understood the necessity of undergoing screening for and prevention of early-onset CRC, and were familiar with the structure of the metaverse. The satisfaction score for campaign information tended to decrease as the participants’ age increased. When the participants’ overall level of satisfaction with the metaverse platform was assessed, teenagers scored particularly lower than the other age groups. The satisfaction scores for CRC information provided in the metaverse, as well as the scores for recognizing the seriousness and necessity of screening for early-onset CRC, indicated a high positive tendency (P<0.001). Conclusion Most of the 2022 Gold Ribbon Campaign participants were satisfied with the metaverse platform. Medical society should pay attention to increasing participation in and satisfaction with future public campaigns.

Purpose: Oxaliplatin, a component of the capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (XELOX) regimen, has a more favorable toxicity profile than cisplatin in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). However, oxaliplatin can induce sensory neuropathy and cumulative, dose-related toxicities. Thus, the capecitabine maintenance regimen may achieve the maximum treatment effect while reducing the cumulative neurotoxicity of oxaliplatin. This study aimed to compare the survival of patients with advanced GC between capecitabine maintenance and observation after 1st line XELOX chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Sixty-three patients treated with six cycles of XELOX for advanced GC in six hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea were randomized 1:1 to receive capecitabine maintenance or observation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), analyzed using a two-sided log-rank test stratified at a 5% significance level. Results: Between 2015 and 2020, 32 and 31 patients were randomized into the maintenance and observation groups, respectively. After randomization, the median number of capecitabine maintenance cycles was 6. The PFS was significantly higher in the maintenance group than the observation group (6.3 vs. 4.1 months, P=0.010). Overall survival was not significantly different between the 2 groups (18.2 vs. 16.5 months, P=0.624). Toxicities, such as hand-foot syndrome, were reported in some maintenance group patients. Maintenance treatment was a significant factor associated with PFS in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.472; 95% confidence interval, 0.250–0.890; P=0.020). Conclusions After 6 cycles of XELOX chemotherapy, capecitabine maintenance significantly prolonged PFS compared with observation, and toxicity was manageable. Maintenance treatment was a significant prognostic factor associated with PFS.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare proliferative disease involving the synovial membranes. Complete excision with a total synovectomy is important for diffuse type PVNS because of its high recurrence rate. In the ankle, complete excision of diffuse type PVNS is difficult due to the anatomical structure of the ankle joint. This paper reports the author's experience of surgical treatment with combined open and arthroscopic synovectomy. In this manner, it is expected that the complications of the open procedure and the recurrence rate of arthroscopic procedure can be reduced.
Ankle Joint ; Ankle ; Recurrence ; Synovial Membrane ; Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. OBJECTIVES: This study compared the early postoperative analgesic effects and the postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) associated with 3 methods of pain control after posterior spinal decompression. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Spinal surgery causes severe postoperative pain. Efficient and safe methods for postoperative analgesia after spinal surgery are necessary. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the clinical symptoms and to assess improvements in postoperative pain, 52 patients in whom single-level posterior lumbar decompression was planned were randomly assigned to 3 groups. For postoperative pain control, 18 patients received a preoperative single-shot epidural injection (SEI), 16 patients received a postoperative continuous epidural injection (CEI), and 18 patients received only postoperative intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA). Patient ratings of pain intensity (visual analog scale score from 0 [no pain] to 10 [most severe pain]), nausea (from 0 [no nausea] to 5 [severe nausea]), and vomiting (from 0 [no vomiting] to 5 [severe vomiting]) were recorded immediately after the operation and at 4 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, and 2 days postoperatively. RESULTS: The CEI group showed significantly enhanced analgesic effects, followed by the SEI group and the IV PCA group (p < 0.05). PONV due to postoperative pain control was more severe in the IV PCA group than in the other 2 groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Continuous epidural injection (CEI) is effective for postoperative pain control and minimizes the occurrence of PONV after posterior spinal decompression.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled ; Decompression ; Humans ; Injections, Epidural ; Methods ; Nausea ; Pain, Postoperative ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting ; Prospective Studies ; Spinal Stenosis ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the early postoperative analgesic effects and the postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) associated with 3 methods of pain control after posterior spinal decompression.SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Spinal surgery causes severe postoperative pain. Efficient and safe methods for postoperative analgesia after spinal surgery are necessary. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine the clinical symptoms and to assess improvements in postoperative pain, 52 patients in whom single-level posterior lumbar decompression was planned were randomly assigned to 3 groups. For postoperative pain control, 18 patients received a preoperative single-shot epidural injection (SEI), 16 patients received a postoperative continuous epidural injection (CEI), and 18 patients received only postoperative intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA). Patient ratings of pain intensity (visual analog scale score from 0 [no pain] to 10 [most severe pain]), nausea (from 0 [no nausea] to 5 [severe nausea]), and vomiting (from 0 [no vomiting] to 5 [severe vomiting]) were recorded immediately after the operation and at 4 hours, 12 hours, 1 day, and 2 days postoperatively. RESULTS: The CEI group showed significantly enhanced analgesic effects, followed by the SEI group and the IV PCA group (p < 0.05). PONV due to postoperative pain control was more severe in the IV PCA group than in the other 2 groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Continuous epidural injection (CEI) is effective for postoperative pain control and minimizes the occurrence of PONV after posterior spinal decompression.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer treatment has progressed significantly over the past 20 years. However, knowledge regarding male breast cancer (MBC) is sparse because of its rarity. This study is an investigation of the clinicopathologic features, treatments, and clinical outcomes of MBC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical records of 59 MBC patients diagnosed during 1995-2014 from seven institutions in Korea were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Over a 20-year period, MBC patients accounted for 0.98% among total breast cancer patients, and increased every 5 years. The median age of MBC patientswas 66 years (range, 24 to 87 years). Forty-three patients (73%) complained of a palpable breast mass initially. The median symptom duration was 5 months (range, 1 to 36 months). Mastectomy was performed in 96% of the patients. The most frequent histology was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (75%). Ninety-one percent of tumors (38/43) were estrogen receptor–positive, and 28% (11/40) showed epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) overexpression. After curative surgery, 42% of patients (19/45) received adjuvant chemotherapy; 77% (27/35) received hormone therapy. Five out of ten patients with HER-2 overexpressing tumors did not receive adjuvant anti–HER-2 therapy, while two out of four patients with HER-2 overexpressing tumors received palliative trastuzumab for recurrent and metastatic disease. Letrozole was used for one patient in the palliative setting. The median overall survival durations were 7.2 years (range, 0.6 to 17.0 years) in patients with localized disease and 2.9 years (range, 0.6 to 4.3 years) in those with recurrent or metastatic disease. CONCLUSION: Anti–HER-2 and hormonal therapy, except tamoxifen, have been underutilized in Korean MBC patients compared to female breast cancer patients. With the development of precision medicine, active treatment with targeted agents should be applied. Further investigation of the unique pathobiology of MBC is clinically warranted.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast Neoplasms, Male* ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Male* ; Mastectomy ; Precision Medicine ; Prognosis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Retrospective Studies ; Tamoxifen ; Trastuzumab

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To determine the correlation between the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve measured at the wrist using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography (US) and the electrophysiological severity of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: We prospectively examined 102 wrists of 51 patients with clinical CTS, which were classified into 3 groups according to the electrodiagnostic (EDX) findings. Median nerve CSAs were measured using 3D US at the carpal tunnel inlet and at the level of maximal swelling. RESULTS: Ten wrists were negative for CTS. Of the 92 CTS-positive wrists, 23, 30, and 39 were classified as having mild, moderate, and severe CTS, respectively. The median nerve CSA differed significantly between the severe- and moderate-CTS groups (p=0.0007 at the carpal tunnel inlet and p<0.0001 at the maximal swelling site). There was a correlation between median nerve CSA and EDX parameters among those wrists with severe and mild CTS (p<0.0001 at both sites). CONCLUSIONS: The median nerve CSA as measured by 3D US could provide additional information about the severity of CTS, as indicated by the strong correlation with standard EDX findings.
Bays ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome* ; Humans ; Median Nerve ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography* ; Wrist

Lofgren's syndrome is an acute form of sarcoidosis characterized by erythema nodosum, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy (BHL), and polyarthralgia or polyarthritis. This syndrome is common among Caucasians but rare in the Korean population. A 44-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of polyarthralgia. A chest radiograph revealed BHL and nodular shadows. Angiotensin-converting enzyme levels were within the normal range. Tissue biopsy from a mediastinum lymph node showed noncaseating granulomas. We diagnosed her with Lofgren's syndrome, an acute form of sarcoidosis.
Arthralgia ; Arthritis ; Biopsy ; Erythema Nodosum ; Female ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Mediastinum ; Reference Values ; Sarcoidosis ; Thorax

No abstract available.
Hemangioma ; Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome ; Skin Neoplasms

No abstract available.
Hemangioma ; Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome ; Skin Neoplasms